17. Fast Food

SEVENTEEN

fast food

I stare across the table, not sure I heard Kragen correctly. "Your wife?" I echo, trying not to laugh.

"Congratulations. It's an honor many have sought." He takes another drink before standing from the table. "The ceremony will take place this afternoon." He stands to leave the room.

"No."

Kragen turns back with a genuinely puzzled look on his face. "No?"

I need to stall whatever is going on here long enough for Thorne to arrive. Dear God, let him arrive. I clear my throat before speaking. "I mean I will need more time to prepare. There's a dress, and…and decorations, and…"

He studies my face for a few minutes before speaking. " Friday then." He turns, leaving me alone in his quarters.

Shit. What is today? I stumble through my brain, finally deciding that today is Tuesday. That leaves four days for Thorne to find me. Will that be enough time? Will he find me? Is he even searching? I flush the intrusive thoughts from my mind and focus on how to stall the wedding as long as possible.

I spend the next few hours staring at the door, waiting for the next "guard" to be sent into the quarters. Surprisingly, I've been alone since Kragen left. Several more hours pass before I gain the nerve to see if he locked me inside.

Slowly turning the knob, I'm shocked when the door opens. I step outside, expecting to find several guards, and am surprised to find the deck empty. What the hell? I spent a hundred years locked in silver chains—now he gives me free rein of his ship?

I move toward the railing, overlooking the crystal blue water. Searching the banks of the inlet, I look for the young girl who escaped earlier, not finding any evidence that she's alive…or dead.

In order for Thorne to stand any chance against Kragen's men, I need to find every detail I can about this place. Taking my time, I count each of the men on land, noticing any distinguishable markings about them. I spend the better part of the afternoon putting them to memory.

Three of Kragen's men look familiar, while the other five I don't recognize. Most of the men seem to be on autopilot. Their behavior isn't like anything I've seen before. If I didn't know better, I'd think they were mindless drones instead of lethal vampires.

"Are you hungry, miss?" a young voice says from behind.

I turn, finding a boy, no older than fifteen or sixteen, standing alone on the deck. The clothes he's wearing are nothing more than rags, with more holes than fabric. His mousy blonde hair is covered in dirt and blood, and his eyes are full of sadness.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"David," he answers. His voice is shaky as he speaks.

"It's nice to meet you, David. My name is Elsie. How old are you?"

"Eighteen," he lies.

"Are you okay, David?"

He closes his eyes before speaking. "Yes, ma'am. Are you hungry?"

I move closer to the boy. "No. Thank you for offering." He turns to leave. "David?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"How many of you are there on this ship?"

"Five."

"Will you take me to the others?" David's eyes open wide with fear. I move closer still, locking my eyes with his. "I won't harm them. I am here to help you. You can trust me. "

His pupils dilate with my compulsion. "Follow me," he whispers.

He leads me off the main deck into the familiar hallway that leads to the room I lived in for many years. The closer we get, the stronger the odor of death becomes. We enter, and I resist the urge to cover my nose.

The four people in front of me are nothing more than children. Their bodies are covered in wounds, and most are barely conscious.

"Oh, my God," I whisper. "How can I help you?"

"We're here to serve you," a young girl says, sliding herself backward against the hull. "Are you hungry, miss?" Her voice weaker than moments before.

"Can you walk?" I ask.

She struggles to stand, finally making it with the help of David. "Yes, ma'am," she answers.

"Take her to the captain's quarters," I demand. "I'll bring the others."

David's eyes take on a look of fear I'd recognize anywhere. "Maddie was the only one allowed in his quarters, and she disappeared."

"It's all right," I reassure him. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

I watch as the duo slowly makes their way out of the room toward the quarters, while I gather the other three up and follow behind. I don't care what Kragen says, I will not allow anyone else to suffer as I did.

I move in front of David, opening the door for them. " Are you sure it's all right, miss? The captain is going to be angry."

"I don't care if he is. I will not allow him to harm you." I know that's a promise I can't keep if it comes down to it, but I will die trying. I set the three unconscious girls down carefully and watch as David does the same.

"There's water in there." I point at the bathtub. Get them something to drink, and I'll find food.

"We usually eat rats," David says, following my directions. His words bring back memories of my life in the same room. A life where rats kept me alive after the transformation.

"Aye, I remember," I answer, wishing the ghosts of memories away.

On a ship full of vampires, there is no food anywhere to be found. If I leave to search the inlet and Kragen discovers what I've done, I have no doubt he won't hesitate to kill every one of them.

"Thank you, ma'am," David says, bringing water to the weak group of humans.

"Don't thank me yet. We haven't gotten you out of here yet."

The smell of sulfur hits me before the sensation of Kragen approaching does. Shit. "Get under the table, now," I whisper.

"Ma'am?" David looks confused.

"Hide, now!" I demand.

David drags one of the unconscious girls under the large table, and I follow behind with the others. Just as I stand, the door to the quarters opens, revealing the source of my nightmares.

"Hello, my dear." I cross my arms in front of my chest without responding. He lifts his nose into the air, sniffing the unmistakable smell of death, and smiles with recognition. "You wouldn't happen to know what happened to the crew's dinner, would you?"

The sound of whimpering whispers from the hiding place. "It seems they've disappeared," he continues, stalking closer toward the table. "I wonder where they are?" He bends down, closer to the humans. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

"Stop!" I demand. Moving vampire speed, I stand between him and the terrified children. "They are nothing more than babies. You can't force them to be here."

Kragen stands. "Force? Who said anything about forcing? Did I force anyone?" he asks the group hiding.

The whimpers intensify. "See," he continues. "No one said anything about being forced. They're free to go anytime they wish."

"Then they choose to leave now," I interrupt.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that, Elsbeth."

In a moment of either complete grandeur or stupidity, I'm not sure which, I stand my ground. "If you want my hand in marriage, you will free them."

Kragen stands, staring at me. I can't tell from the look on his face what's about to happen. I refuse to let him see how terrified I am. I mask my energy the best I can, hoping to hide the terror I feel inside. "Are you refusing your hand in marriage if I don't allow them to go?"

"Aye," I answer.

He moves toward the door, opening it wide. "Very well, you may go."

I stare at the creature in front of me. "Nothing will happen to them?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing will happen to them."

"I have your word that they'll leave the ship without harm?"

"You seem so untrusting of me, my dear." His words send chills down my spine.

"It's okay," I whisper to the group. David is the first one out. The look on his face mirrors my own.

"Welcome, child." Kragen moves away from the door, giving him space. The girls who were unconscious earlier have awoken and are crawling behind him. I rush to their sides, offering help.

The small group works its way to the railing of the ship. "How are they going to get down?" I ask, looking over the water.

"There's a ladder," Kragen answers, pointing at the flimsy rope ladder attached to the side of the ship.

"They're too weak. They'll never make it."

Kragen shrugs. "That is not my concern."

"You promised," I argue.

"No, my dear. I gave my word they would leave the ship without harm. What happens on the way down wasn't part of the deal."

"Semantics."

He raises his eyebrows. "Quite possibly."

I wrap the three weakest girls in my arms and jump from the main deck to the inlet, bypassing the water altogether.

"How did you do that?" a weak voice says as I lay them on the sand.

"Rest. I'll be back." I jump back to the ship, landing in front of David and the girl who walked into the quarters.

"You impress me, my dear," Kragen says from the deck.

I ignore his words, picking up the two remaining humans and copying my movements from before, I jump them close to the others. "What do we do now?" David asks, looking into the seemingly endless forest.

"You live." The SUV that brought me here is sitting in the same spot as before. Climbing inside, I'm grateful for Jimmy's stupidity and the keys still being in the ignition. I hand them to David. "Get them out of here."

"Wait!" a voice yells across the inlet. "Don't leave me here!" I turn, finding Maddie, working her way across the dense forest toward us. Behind her lurks something from nightmares. Kragen. His humanness has transformed into the creature from my memories.

"No!" I scream seconds before Kragen bites into her neck, draining the remaining blood from her weak body. I watch in horror as her lifeless body falls to the ground in silence.

"Did he just…" David begins.

"He did. Go, now!"

"I don't know how to drive," he answers.

"At this point, it doesn't matter. Just put it in drive and floor it. I'll keep him here." The SUV roars to life as he slides the seat as close to the wheel as possible. "Don't stop until you get to a police station!" I yell as he slides the gear shift and the wheels spin.

Kragen is in front of me in an instant as the SUV pulls away from the edge of the water. "Leave them alone," I warn.

He smiles as the SUV continues to bump over the terrain, working its way toward an escape. "I will say, I'm enjoying this feisty side of you. It's cute."

Cute? What the hell?

"Fuck you, Kragen."

"Oh, you will, my dear. You will."

"You killed her," I nod toward the body of the young girl.

"Hmm?" he turns, following my line of sight. "Oh, her. She wasn't part of our deal."

"You are a son of a bitch."

Kragen shrugs, holding his arm toward me. "Shall we?"

"I'll never marry you," I retort.

"Then you won't be holding up your end of the deal." He nods toward the path the SUV took. "Shall I stop them?"

"You wouldn't."

He's in front of me in a second. "Don't presume to know me, Elsbeth. You are nothing more to me than a monetary exchange to heighten my wealth." Hot breath touches my face. "I will not hesitate to end your life once you are no longer needed." Kragen wraps my arm through his, and together, we walk into the water toward his awaiting ship.

Vampires don't need to breathe, but the sensation of being underwater brings back terrifying images of my baths while a prisoner. As we approach the vessel, I notice two large anchors embedded into the sea floor. Both show signs of wear and deterioration.

Kragen grabs my arm and leaps to the deck of the ship. "Change your dress," he demands before turning and leaving me alone.